As a chiropractor, I hear many different stories about the health challenges that people face. Some describe symptoms like pain, muscle tension and headaches. Others talk about muscle strains, pinched nerves or sciatica.

So many different conditions, and yet there is one thing in common with all of them.

It’s escalating tension. But not just the muscle tension that many think of. Did you know that tension gets stored in our bones, joints and nervous system? When we face a stressful situation and are unable to resolve it in the moment, the thoughts and emotions get stored not just in our brain but also in our muscles, bones, nerves and other tissues.

When someone is telling me about their symptoms be it pain, numbness, weakness or stiffness, I can usually trace it back to stored tension.

Why is tension such an important factor in pain and other symptoms?

Tension goes hand in hand with relaxation. We need both. Imagine the simple movement of bending your elbow. As your bicep muscle shortens and tenses up, the opposing tricep muscle must relax and lengthen. This is true when looking at our body as a whole. Tension and relaxation are different sides of the same coin and our bodies function best when a balance is maintained between both.

When tension escalates, our bodies resort to storing the tension away in bones, muscles, nerves and other tissues. When tension goes up, pain and other symptoms predictably increase to match. Even more, accumulating tension in our bodies is much like adding straws to the camel’s back. If we keep adding tension to our bodies like straws to the camel’s back, tissues will ultimately weaken, strain and tear. Now that sounds like a painful situation!

In short, pain and many other symptoms are often rooted in a buildup of tension. If you’re experiencing symptoms like pain, stiffness or weakness, you might want to find out how much tension you’re holding.